May 15 The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich

This painting from 1914 is one of the many works depicted in a famed coffee-table book from 1936. The illustrations are of an artist's work from 1914-1917, presumably in his prime.

After being rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1907 and again in 1908 (the institute felt he showed more talent as an architect), he produced and peddled hundreds of paintings and postcards in an attempt to make a living while in Austria's capital city.

Neither painting nor architecture would bring any commercial success; the failed artist ultimately choosing a career in politics. Interestingly, his surviving pieces start at auction today around $15,000, going significantly further up from there.